How's Everyone Doing?

[pbp908]

I think we all must be in the midst of holiday busyness! The board has been quiet, so I thought I'd see who wants to catch up with each other.

I have project after project going here. Just finished putting the house back together from painting the living room, dining room and den. The kitchen walls will have to wait until after the new year. Going up and down the ladder to paint one wall did my GOOD knee in. I admitted defeat and found a painter. The orthopedist found a bone shard/fragment floating around in there that's hurting like heck, so it looks like surgery is looming. Fencing is completed for the back yard except for the copper caps on the posts and solar lights on the 3 gates. I managed to hang a wreath on the main gate - I'm such a decorating whiz. Now if I could only teach the dogs to quit digging holes. The last project underway is replacing the gas cook top and the kitchen counters. Went last Friday to select the granite for the counters and then to decide on the cook top. Finally I'll be able to boil a pot of water under 30 minutes! They've assured me that all of that can be completed by the end of next week. From their mouth to God's ear.

Today is the eye appt., so wish me luck with that!

And my Christmas tree still needs decorating.

[Keitha]

Pam, just reading all that makes me want to take a nap, LOL. I understand the desire to get everything done already, but please don't compromise your health/mobility in the process.

I've been making progress on decluttering the house, which is now on hold until after the holidays. I'm still waffling about new furniture choices for my living room but have decided it's not happening all at once - despite the desire to do it that way courtesy of all those shows on HGTV - the hunt continues for just the right sofa.

Like my crafting mojo, I'm struggling to find my Christmas mojo this year; still have cards to mail, shopping to do and decorating to finish. My SIL and grandson brought my tree in from the garage and set it up yesterday - yay for pre-lit trees - and my youngest grandson helped me decorate it. I'm not completely finished because I want to sort through the rest of the decorations with a view to paring down some; I have a ridiculous amount for the space I now live in, and could frankly use the storage space for something else. Taking a leaf out of Marianne's book, I want to get them to the thrift store before Christmas in case someone else can use them.

Right now it's raining, which on top of all the snow we had last week has made it darn icy outside. But I'll take the milder temperatures.

[paddlegal]

Well gee Pam I can see why you haven’t been on much!!! I’m too exhausted to say what I’ve been up to after reading your post. So sorry about more surgery.

My tree is still in a box under the stairway. The door wreath is sitting still on a planter right outside the door but I did get to do some grandma stuff yesterday with my step-daughter’s kids. They love projects so I came up with a wreath decorating day for them. Bought large wreathes for them to hang on their bedroom doors and a ton of tiny (50% off) ornaments and let them at it. Hot cocoa and brownies were served and they had a great time. They also (including Charley’s GF) made jewelry with the left over ornaments.

Meanwhile I’ve been in volunteer overload with bird surveys and loving it. Tonight is the Cosumnes River College Orchestra’s last concert of the year. Bob has been a member of it for at least 15 years as was Charley while in HS. He’s done with this semester’s law school (he graduates in May!!!) so he too is playing tonight! The Cross men are back together again! Bob on trombone and Charley on trumpet.

Planning on getting the tree up this week before Bob’s birthday on the 18th. More back-to-back bird surveys and then at the end of the month a few back-to-back annual Christmas Bird Counts. Whew!


Nathaniel nearly 8 and Vanessa 6 on the 15th!

I forgot to mention that Nathaniel likes showing off his first tooth gap.

[pamcook]

Oh those faces!!

My broken thumb turned out to be “just a severe sprain” and you all would die laughing if you could see me trying to work in a splint that goes half way to my elbow.

My coworker is back today after 3 weeks of emergency family leave and I did not suffer a nervous breakdown.

Staying busy with JYC and a couple of challenges in other groups. Still need to make a few Christmas cards and come up with challenge ideas for 2020.

The snake skin is gone from my attic steps so my mantle is now decorated!

2975B3A9-F6EC-4B68-90DA-059781B23B56.jpeg (69.83 KiB) Viewed 713 times

[Monica]

I'm tired reading both Pam P and Farley's posts!

Keitha, I totally get where you're coming from with the mojo struggle. I ended up grabbing some card fronts I started a couple months back to finish for the swap, so most of them look totally different, but it was enough to get me going and finish them to send.

Pam C, wow... that's quite the challenge for you to deal with.

I've been doing the December Daily... at least as far as taking photos goes... and panicked today when I realized that I have to wrap and get my brother's package shipped by Wednesday and the one to my sister by Friday. So much for my evenings! I do have the tree up and house decorated, and a few of us came in over the weekend for a couple hours to decorate City Hall, so that's done too. Tonight's task is to pick photos and get Christmas photo cards done from Walgreens to send out next week, along with present wrapping. I'm a third of the way through my Christmas movies, then I'll be switching to Hallmark for the rest of the season. It's a great accompaniment to making Christmas treats.

[pat-czap]

Wow, to all of you. So much going on in your lives.

Today I had a lovely quilt group luncheon / gift exchange.

No tree up yet. The guys in my house are not thinking in that direction I guess. This week I'll get it done.

Shopping somewhat done. Got most of my packages mailed today. I have son Eric's birthday on the 21st and his Christmas gifts, to get to him in Indiana. He says he will not be able to get here this Christmas.

I am not going anywhere this year, because on Tuesday the 17th, I am having a right hip replacement. Merry Christmas to me!
A bit aprehensive, as the last time I was in the hospital was 12/21/1989 having my 3rd child by c-section.

Take care of yourselves everyone.

[pamcook]

oh no Pat! Many prayers for you and a quick recovery.

[pbp908]

Ouch, Pat! Sending prayers for a quick recovery.

I forgot to say that my pre-lit Christmas tree died. I got tired of trying to find the issue and tossed it out. Went to Lowes and bought a new one - LED and a lot of different functions, which seems to be the trend now. Anyway, Adam and I decided to prank Chris with the tree. He pays absolutely little or no attention to things, so since the tree can have colored or white lights, we're changing up the colors every so often. A few days colored and then one day of white. Hopefully he'll notice it soon and then we're going to play dumb on the change. "No, Chris, the lights have always been that color."

That's what moms and pesky nephews are for, right???

[Keitha]

Pat, sending best wishes for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.
Pam P, your tree prank sounds like the best kind of fun.
Pam C, your mantle is lovely. Somehow I missed reading about your thumb; sending best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Farley, I'm sure the kids loved the wreath and jewelry-making. And that's a great idea to hang the wreaths on their bedroom doors. I've been casting about for someplace else for one here, and that hadn't occurred to me.

[Monica]

Pat, wishing you a speedy recovery on your surgery!

[pbp908]

Pam - Your thumb?? Ouchie! Hope it heals soon and you can get that splint off. As for the snake skin - I don't think I'd ever go up in that attic again!!!

[jmp1022]

We are in FL getting used to the place.
We have been out every day looking around.
80* today
We will go to daughter's house for Christmas day.

Decorated a tree today with our swap ornaments and some stars I made.